Daily fitness and wellness tips

Monthly Archives: December 2014

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that all healthy adults should do the following:
1. Frequency of training: three to five days per week
2. Intensity of training: 55/65%-90% of maximum heart rate
3. Duration of training: 20-60 minutes of continuous or intermittent aerobic activity
4. Mode of activity: any activity that uses large muscle groups, which can be maintained continuously and is rhythmical and aerobic in nature (for example, walking-hiking, running-jogging, cycling, bicycling, cross-country skiing, aerobic dance/group exercise, rope skipping, rowing, stair climbing, swimming, skating, and various endurance game activities or some combination thereof).

Regular cardiovascular exercise is key to keeping up with your overall health and fitness.

In just a few minutes you will be feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready to take on the world!

Let’s begin:

• Find a quiet place where you can completely relax. Allow yourself to sit or lie in a comfortable position. Tell yourself you will awaken refreshed after 10minutes. (5 minutes will work!)
• Begin by focusing your eyes upward above your line of sight. Take in a long, slow, deep breath. As you slowly exhale think “relax, relax within”. Another deep breath in and on the exhale repeat to yourself “relax, relax within”. Repeat approximately six more times. Your eyes should start to become fatigued. Close them.

• Imagine relaxation beginning in your toes. You may imagine it in the form of a color, such as a soothing aqua blue liquid. Allow that relaxation to spread upwards into your feet and ankles. Allow that feeling of relaxing to spread upward into your shins and calves, knees and hollow of your knees, your thighs and back of your thighs. Allow that relaxation, that soothing liquid to flow up into your abdomen, your chest, heart and lungs. Continue this process throughout your entire body.
• Next, imagine yourself in a special place of relaxation. We’ll call it “your place.” It might be lying on a beach on a warm summer day, or relaxing in the country by a peaceful river or stream. You might prefer being in your backyard or garden or even in your home.

• You may repeat the phrase quietly to yourself “ ”I am calm, I am relaxed, I am in control. Stress bounces off and away from me…off and away.”
• Count yourself up with 1-10 giving suggestions for well being, energy, happiness.

Everyone- no matter how healthy you are, should receive an annual physical. Why? A physical examination checks you from head to toe as a preventative care method, and a doctor that gets to know you and your health history as well as your family’s will know what to check for and how to treat you when you go in. So, not only does it keep your body in check, but it keeps your relationship with your doctor up-to-date in case you would ever need to go in for something specific.
Annual physicals prevent a potential disease from spreading as well. If you constantly keep your body in check by a doctor, any potential disease will be caught quicker or prevented all together before things get more serious. Diseases like cancer are silent- so annual blood work is very important.
For women especially it is recommended to see a gynecologist yearly not only to check for any STD’S or problems that could be from partners but to receive a mammogram as well. Many women put off getting a mammogram and this is what doctors stress the most in order to prevent issues such as breast cancer.
“Everyone needs a doctor, even when they are healthy, because a doctor not only manages and cures illness, but also, hopefully, helps prevent illness and promotes wellness. Having a regular relationship with your primary care doctor is important and can be critical in diagnosing potential issues. It is difficult for a doctor you are seeing for the first time to know your history, your body, your normal function and presentation, and your emotions to recognize differences that may indicate problems,” Dr. John Connolly of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.

Just because the weather is cooler, at least it is here in the North East, doesn’t mean you can skimp on water consumption. To be healthy, you must stay hydrated.

Many experts suggest drinking eight 8 oz glasses per day. Some suggest half your body weight in fluid ounces per day.
Make sure to drink water when exercising. Muscles do not work as well when they are dehydrated. Fuel up with at least 8 ounces before you exercise and sip throughout your workout.
Water is calorie free. If you would like to lose weight, swap soda and other higher calorie drinks for water.
Make water your beverage of choice. It will not only keep you energized, water can help keep your skin looking youthful.